An example of the path from idea to industrial application
The presentation delivered by RINA-CSM to students and stakeholders from AIDIC offered a clear and compelling example of how technological innovation takes shape, guiding participants through the journey from a simple idea to full industrial implementation.
Adopting a structured and multidisciplinary perspective, RINA-CSM illustrated its methodological approach, which unfolds across several key phases: from problem definition and technology scouting to technical, economic and environmental assessment, followed by pilot-scale validation and eventual industrial scale-up. This framework provided participants with a concrete understanding of how innovative solutions are effectively developed and brought to market.
To make this pathway more tangible, the approach was applied to a highly relevant case study: the decarbonisation of the steel industry, one of the most challenging hard-to-abate sectors and a major contributor to global CO₂ emissions. In this context, hydrogen emerged as a central enabler of the transition towards low-emission production processes, particularly through its application in direct reduced iron (DRI) technologies and electric arc furnace (EAF) systems.
The presentation also shed light on the key challenges associated with the development of green hydrogen, including production costs—closely tied to renewable energy prices and investments in electrolyser technologies—as well as the urgent need to accelerate large-scale deployment to achieve economic competitiveness.
A significant focus was placed on the the IPCEI HYDRA initiative, presented as a cutting-edge platform for research and development in hydrogen-based steel production. HYDRA stands out as an integrated ecosystem combining pilot plants and experimental infrastructures, covering hydrogen-based direct reduction, electric furnace melting, and the investigation of hydrogen applications in downstream processes and materials.
A highlight of the event was the visit to the HYDRA platform in Castel Romano, where participants had the opportunity to experience first-hand the innovative features of the pilot plant and gain insight into the technical challenges addressed during its development. The visit also demonstrated the facility’s concrete potential as an Open Innovation Hub, fostering collaboration between research, industry and stakeholders.
Overall, the presentation successfully illustrated how a systemic approach—bringing together technological innovation, experimental validation and strong industrial collaboration—can play a pivotal role in enabling deep decarbonisation of steelmaking processes. It offered participants a forward-looking perspective on how integrated solutions can contribute to achieving climate neutrality goals in the medium to long term.
